3 North Fork coloring books that capture local scenes

Over the years, the North Fork has inspired painters, photographers and writers. Now, artists have found another way to capture its beauty: coloring books. Here are three locally themed versions for sale.

‘GLORY COLORING BOOK’ $12.95

Meg Bennett, a Greenport resident and writing instructor with Stony Brook University’s Educational Opportunity Program, has used her artistic talents to produce the “Glory Coloring Book” as a fundraiser for the nonprofit Glory Going Green. Bennett runs the charity, which provides free educational programs to Greenport children, with her partner, Glory captain David Berson.

“I’m almost entirely self-taught. This is not something that I’ve done as a profession,” she said. “David urged me to do something for Glory Going Green and for the kids.”

Meg Bennett holds a copy of her Glory Coloring Book (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

The “Glory Coloring Book” has a nautical theme that showcases Glory, Greenport Village and Peconic Bay. Bennett, whose corgi, Owen, also appears in the pages, hopes the book inspires children to take up drawing.

“I liked coloring books as a child, but I liked adding to them, cutting them up and making them into collages,” she said. “I hope this book is used the same way. I’d like kids to draw on them, paint on them, move the ideas around and then add their own.”

For Drew University history student Jake Rose, “Color Greenport” was a way for him to honor small-town life in Greenport while helping its residents at the same time.

A frequent summer visitor to the maritime village, Rose wanted to do something for the place he has grown to love. Many of his favorite Greenport destinations appear in the book, like the East End Seaport Museum, Aldo’s Cafe, Claudio’s restaurant and the Greenport Carousel.

“There’s a real nice sense of community there,” said Rose, who commissioned an artist to produce the book’s drawings. “This was a way for me to give back.”

For Greenport artist Kara Hoblin, creating a coloring book seemed like a natural progression of her work, which includes one-of-a-kind chalk drawings displayed at many local restaurants and bars.

“A North Fork Coloring Book” is Hoblin’s love song to the area and is filled with many of her favorite locations.

“It’s places that I love on the North Fork but with a more magical, whimsical expression,” she said.

Mermaids, whales and other sea creatures inhabit Hoblin’s book, along with real-life locales like Lavender by the Bay, Krupski Farms and Martha Clara Vineyards.

“There’s just so many places on the North Fork that I love, you can’t fit it all into just 24 pages,” Hoblin said. “I’m going to keep making them until there’s no places left.”

Hoblin has such a loyal following that the first 100 copies of her self-published coloring book, plus a reprinting, sold quickly. A few copies are still available and she is already working on her second coloring book, which she hopes to release by the end of the year. In addition, she plans to produce Shelter Island and South Fork-themed coloring books.